Online and Personal
It was a funny feeling talking to a computer screen. I could see myself in the small window in the corner but couldn’t see him. Yanic (drummer and ‘father ‘of Gone in April) answered with a very American accent, which is expected as the band is from Knoxville, Tennessee, but his accent was a refreshingly enunciated one. He sounded awake and alive contrasting my tired and slightly flustered self, bringing to sharp reality the vast time difference between us. His 10 am was my 8pm. Speaking to me from New York’s Wave Transform Studio, I jumped straight into the bands experience in India.
“We loved it. The crowd gave us such amazing energy”, he exclaimed, the minute I finished my question. “When we were on stage, they gave so much back to the band. They were intense”. They also got a chance to meet fans, something that he was quite kicked about, though not nearly as kicked as the fans that managed an audience with him and Julie and the concert set while they were dining or lunching. Having had a plate of french fries when they landed, the food got better and better at the Jayamahal Palace that hosted the foursome (or in this case, fivesome). “It was 2 am when we landed so all they could serve up was a plate of fries.”
Yanic personally, being the coordinator and planner of the group, contrasting Chico’s relaxed vibe, was most impressed with the 12th of October. Rehearsals took off on a great note with the sound crew and light production hitting all the right points. “It was great working with those guys, they were incredible. It was the best day for me”. Yanic spent his time within the Palace while Julie and James visited the famous Bull Temple. The band did venture out as a group to have a home-cooked meal with Jagged Edge. The shortness (4 days) of their time in India allowed them very little leading Yanic to say, “We would love to come back”, to complete their Indian experience. The 4 days of R&R however was much needed after the insane planning that went into the tour. Since the band members were from different countries, all their visas needed to be put together. All of the planning began 4 months before the band set foot in India.
Touring, while necessary, is not where the band sees itself in the near future. While they would like to perform in South America and the US, they are hoping to donate a lot of their time to recording their next album. Hoping to have it out by March 2014, a long wait for their fans I’m afraid, Yanic hopes to start composing music right away. The actual recording is to happen around May 2013. “Hopefully all goes according to plan”, he laughs.
His demeanour inspires a few questions about the band apart from their musical inclinations. While most of us are aware of their diverse backgrounds, curiosity demands an example of how they mesh as people. And Yanic delivers. Julie, the only woman brings balance to the group. Her versatility as a singer and composer allows her to help the band out in more ways than one. “Felix is a very cool guy. If we are in a stressful work environment, he will be the one who reduced our stress. He is also very German”. Yanic once found Felix outside, chilling after having made breakfast when he (Felix) then went on to explain that post breakfast he cleaned up after himself and happened to notice that the kitchen was a tad bit cluttered and went on to clean it, including the barbeque and finished by loading the dishwasher. Yanic as mentioned earlier is the planner and the ‘father ‘of the band while Chico is not one to get bogged down with details. “one thing that is incredible about him is that he can change direction, do a 180, and re-plan any situation without losing his cool”. Chico is also very direct which helps keep drama out of the group. “He would just walk up to you and say ‘Why the hell did you do that?’”, Yanic laughs as the interview wraps up with the hope of having many more visits and interviews with a band as amazing as Gone In April.
Gone in April has a line up featuring Julie (vocals), Yanic (drums), Chico (Bass) and Felix (Guitar). They however performed in India with Julie, Yanic, Daniel (Bass), James and Marc (Guitar).
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